Wichita eagle., 1887-01-20
A BUREAU FOR PUFFS.
HOW PEOPLE ARE SUPPLIED WITH
NEWS ABOUT THEMSELVES.

| Men to Read for Them-Gouid, Field
and vanderbiIt-Lars and Statistics
Some Curious Orders.
Every editor knows the man whose at
tention has just been called to an article
in the paper. He els very numerous
Doubtless editors have long wondered il
there were not some people in the world
who devoted their time to calling the at
tention of other people to newspaper
articles Perhaps this first suggested tC
a New York journalist the idea of eStab-
fishing a bureau for the accommodation
of persons who desire to have their atten-
ton called to what the newspapers say
about them. At all events he did start
| such Il concern and it is now running in
full blast. He employed men to read the
papers, for folks who don't have a very
high opinion Of the press never hook at
the papers and don t care what the papers
say about them, and these men keep
| a lot Of boys on the jump all day pasting
and mailing the clippings. The list OF
subscribers is long and includes people
in every profession and line Of business.
| The bureau receives all the daily, weekly
and monthly publications Of this country
and the principal papers of foreign
countries, and the readers go through
about 1000 every day.
ACTORS AND AUTHORS.
Actors, of course, are patrons Of the
| bureau, 3nd although they are nOtoriously
vain thcr vanity has q business side.
Newspaper fame is part of their stock
in trade, and notices have an actual value
| to them. The more all actor is talked
about the better his chances Of getting
| engagements. And then an actor wants
to know what the critics say OF his work
in order to be able to correct his faults.
If he brings out n new play it is important
that he should know how it is received.
Artists, who are peculiarly sensitive to
criticism, want all the notice of their pic
lures and information about sales, eXhibi-
tions, galleries and new collections.
Authors are liberal patrons Of the bureau.
Some of them want personal notices and
criticisms, but most of them want articles
on topics useful to them in compiling new
books.
A great many congressman discover
through the bureau how their votes,
speeches and bills have affected public
opinion in their districts. : Foreign minis
ters get important information about the
W
trade relations, etc. During the Cutting
imbroglio, Senor Don Romero, Mexican
minister, was supplied With $50 articles
on the affair, and so obtained q complete
epitOme Of American, English and French
newspaper opinions which were very yalu-
able to him. The civil service commits
sion is a good customer and gets much in
teresting reading mater, not always Of a
gratifying nature.
Jay Gould is profoundly Indifferent to
newspaper talk and hasn't the slightest
desire to see what is said about him. But
his partner, Washington Z. Connor, is a
subscriber and if the little king Of Wall
street does not know everything that is
said by the press and public speakers
about him and his d0ings it is because he
can't read. Cyrus W. Field has his atten-
ton called to articles that interest him
and doubtless has accumulated a mass of
valuable information about movements,
revolutionary history, dynamite and
patriotism When William II. Wander
bilt died the bureau furnished to the
family 1900 obituaries and editorials on
the millionaire, and, strange to say, there
were no rough or i'll naturcd ones in the
lot, which must have been pleasant sur
prise to the family.
LAWS AND STATISTICS.
City, state and national departments
are supplied with decisions, ne,v laws,
statistics, comments, etc, and legal re-
ports and other matters relating to rrac-
ncc arc furnished 10 n long list Of law
yers. Hallway corporations are supposed
TO be imperyious TO public opinion, but
all the principal lines are down Oh the
books for newspaper attacks, Iegisla-
ton and everything affecting the railroad
business. With most of the subscribers
it is purc business. Manufacturers, con-
tractors and builders want to know where
work in tacir line is contemplated and
what improvements are made in methods
OF doing work. \ wine dealer wants to
know in advance about big gatherings,
like Odd Fellows conventions, public
banquets, swell receptions and weddings,
so that he may get in ahead Of other deal |
ers and supply the champagne II the |
king Of Dahomey thinks Of reorganizing
his army some manufacturer of rifles |
wants to hear about it in time to send an
agent over there with samples of guns.
After the Charleston earthquake Mai |
Powell, Of the United States geological |
survey. wrote to the bureau: CLIP all |
criticisms, theories and opinions OF value |
touching the recent earthquake.'' Two
other subscribers, one famous astrono- !
mer, telocraphed to the bureau TO add |
'earthqUake theories to their freyio1ls |
orders, and queer collection of ccankisras
he must have got. One subscriber wanted |
ali death notices promptlx and located |
himself near the bureau to get them as
in, rir
as he got death notice he would rush
around ard try TO sell new kind of |
mourning card to the bereaved relatives
Az cnterprising undertaken also sub
seIihes for death notices.
SOME CURIOUS ORDERS.
The bureau gets some very curious
orders. of which the following ere ex-
nmples: Curious surgical operations"
The intelligence Of dogs" Fashion
articles describing new dresses on the
stage or ut balls or describing the stvles
Of new buttons introduced, = "Bank rob
berries, 'FOrgeries, - ''Socialistjc fomen-
tations which may lead to riots, "All
libel suits. Appearance Of cholera and
contagious diseases" " Utah legislation
and Mormonism, - Large forest fires,n
'Wo mans suffrage" Love. coartshin
and marriage, = Engagements of promi-
1ent 1ociety people. " Liquor traffic on
The Congo and Niger or any part of
Africa, > Impure water supply of cities
and towns, y Railway DEVELOPMENT in
china, Chess, Precious stones -
Water filtration, Amateur actinc.~
' Bartholdi's Liberty" "Conundrums"
md "GIindstones "
Such bureau is The Whispering gallery
IF journalism. The obscure country naner
allllAS is Ears ,. IL.